DRC offers free and impartial counselling to asylum seekers in all phases of the asylum procedure. We also provide legal aid in certain types of cases.
Counselling
DRC offers counselling throughout the asylum procedure
Asylum seekers who have just arrived in Denmark can receive early counselling on the Danish asylum procedure from DRC Asylum. The counselling takes place in reception center Sandholm and is part of the mandatory asylum seeker course for newly arrived asylum seekers.
DRC counselors visit the asylum centers in Denmark and offer counselling in all phases of the asylum procedure. We also provide counselling by phone, video or in person at the office in Borgergade as well as in prisons and detention centers.
Our legal aid consists of counselling on the asylum procedure in Denmark, on the rules and practices for obtaining asylum, and to a lesser extent on other types of residence permits. We also provide counselling on rules, procedures, and practices regarding the refusal of extension and withdrawal of asylum residence permits.
We also offer counselling after the final refusal of asylum, which can cover both return counselling and counselling on the possibilities of reintegration support.
You are always very welcome to contact us if you have questions about the asylum procedure or need counselling on your case. You can ask the staff at the asylum center or in the prison to arrange a counselling session with us.
It is free to get counselling from DRC Asylum. We provide counselling by phone, e-mail, and video or at previously arranged personal meetings at our office.
All employees of DRC have a duty of confidentiality. This means that you can talk to us about anything – including confidential information that you do not want other people or authorities to know about.
Advice for rejected asylum seekers
DRC Asylum - Return counselling
DRC Asylum provides impartial counselling and advice to asylum seekers who have been refused asylum in Denmark and are expected to return to their country of origin.
Rejected asylum seekers often have many thoughts, questions and concerns about what is going to happen. DRC Asylum has a team of experienced return counsellors with social professional backgrounds who can offer counselling to the rejected asylum seeker about his or her situation. The purpose of the counselling is solely to offer support and contribute to clarification among asylum seekers in deportation positions. The goal is to ensure that they gain thorough knowledge about their situation so that they can make informed decisions about their future.
DRC Asylum’s return advisors have, among other things, experience with:
What happens after a refusal of asylum and what rules apply
What practical, social, and/or financial support is available in the country to which the rejected asylum seeker is to return
What emotional and practical considerations rejected asylum seekers often have to cope with
The counselling is confidential. DRC does not disclose any information to the Danish authorities about the individual's considerations, just as counselling with DRC does not necessarily mean that the rejected asylum seeker wants to leave, but simply that he or she seeks clarification about the situation they are facing.
Counselling in prisons
DRC provides counselling to detained asylum seekers
According to section 37d (1) of the Danish Aliens Act, asylum seekers in detention have the right to receive personal legal advice from DRC Asylum.
DRC Asylum is regularly contacted by people, who are detained in prisons or in immigration detention at the Ellebæk Centre for Foreigners. We detained people about the possibility of applying for asylum and the asylum procedure in Denmark.
You can arrange counselling with DRC Asylum by asking the police or the prison staff to arrange a meeting, or you can contact us directly.
Contact DRC Asylum on phone number +45 3373 5000 or mail to [email protected].
Interpretation and counselling in DRC
If you make an appointment for counselling with a counselor from DRC Asylum, we will, as far as possible, make sure that an interpreter is present who speaks your language. The interpreters we use are, of course, also bound by a duty of confidentiality.
If you visit us in the open counselling in Borgergade (every Wednesday from 10 am –1 pm), you must bring a person who can interpret, unless you can speak Danish or English.
You can call us every day from 9 am to 3 pm. The counselling by telephone can be in English or Danish. However, during certain periods we have access to interpreters.
If you make an appointment for counselling via your asylum center by video, an interpreter will be present. Likewise, we typically have interpreters with us when we visit the asylum centers and offer counselling there.
In our email counselling, we do not have interpreters, so please write in Danish or English.
DRC Danish Refugee Council’s Voluntary Advisory Services provides free, impartial, and interdisciplinary counselling to refugees and migrants in Denmark on the Danish Aliens Act, the Integration Act, and psycho-social rights. They can answer questions about issues such as permanent residency or family reunification and help understand decisions and fill out application forms.
The volunteer advisors are lawyers, social workers, and other people with relevant education and experience in relation to asylum and migration law. They work voluntarily and without renumeration. The advisors have an obligation to maintain confidentiality. Everything you tell us in the Advisory Service will be treated confidentially and anonymously within the limits of the law.
